glare

¹

[glair]

noun

1. a very harsh, bright, dazzling light.

   in the glare of sunlight.

   Synonyms: flash, glitter, flare

2. a fiercely or angrily piercing stare.

3. dazzling or showy appearance; showiness.

verb (used without object)

glared, glaring 

1. to shine with or reflect a very harsh, bright, dazzling light.

2. to stare with a fiercely or angrily piercing look.

3. Archaic.,  to appear conspicuous; stand out obtrusively.

verb (used with object)

glared, glaring 

1. to express with a glare.

   They glared their anger at each other.

glare

²

[glair]

noun

1. a bright, smooth surface, as of ice.

glare

¹

/ ɡlɛə /

verb

1. (intr) to stare angrily; glower

2. (tr) to express by glowering

3. (intr) (of light, colour, etc) to be very bright and intense

4. (intr) to be dazzlingly ornamented or garish

noun

1. an angry stare

2. a dazzling light or brilliance

3. garish ornamentation or appearance; gaudiness

glare

²

/ ɡlɛə /

adjective

1. smooth and glassy

   glare ice

Other Word Forms

• glareless adjective
• glary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of glare¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English glaren; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German glaren; akin to glass (compare Old English glæren “glassy”); noun derivative of the verb

Origin of glare²

First recorded in 1560–70; special use of glare ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of glare¹

C13: probably from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch glaren to gleam; probably related to Old English glæren glassy; see _glass

Origin of glare²

C16: special use of _glare ¹

Synonym Study

See shine ¹. Glare, glower, gloat all have connotations of emotion that accompany an intense gaze. To glare is to look piercingly or angrily: A tiger glares at its prey. To glower is to look fiercely and threateningly, as from wrath; it suggests a scowl along with a glare: to glower at a mischievous child. To gloat meant originally to look with exultation, avaricious or malignant, on something or someone: a tyrant gloating over the helplessness of his victim. Today, however, it may simply imply inner exultation.

Example Sentences

"Someone in the Revenue now with the whole glare of the UK's media on them is going to make a decision as to whether Rayner was careless," he said.

From BBC

The guy who normalized age-based mockery is now suffering from the mirror’s glare.

From Salon

But there weren’t many other glaring mistakes to note from there, as the Trojans outscored the Bears, 45-3, the rest of the way.

From Los Angeles Times

With the scale of a fête like this, the task of planning and shielding the affair from public glare could prove as difficult as winning another Grammy or Super Bowl trophy.

From BBC

“The Biggest Loser” placed the dominant “no pain, no gain” philosophy in a glaring light by endorsing mistreatment as a form of motivation.

From Salon

Related Words

• frown 
• gape 
• gawk 
• glower 
• scowl 
• stare